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Tools & Supplies: Compressors
Talk about compressors.
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PSI problem
Juggler
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Posted: Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 05:05 PM UTC
Just hooked up my airbrush to my (1st) new compressor. The comp is reg to 100 psi..I installed a regulator to control the psi. Problem is ..as long as I'm spraying, the psi stays at the regulated psi..which is good, but when I let off the trigger the psi wants to build in the airbrush hose to the compressor psi which is 100 psi.? Besides a bogus regulator...could I be doing something else wrong? Thanks for any input.

Juggler
HunterCottage
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Posted: Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 07:15 PM UTC
It would be helpful if you told more specifics about the comp (ie brand, size of tank, etc) and such. Without knowing specifics it is difficult to say if you are doing something wrong etc...

It doesn't seem to be like you are doing something wrong... It is normal for the comp to keep the regulated air pressure and then increase a little after you stop spraying, but that is only a few psi I am talking about...
sgtreef
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Posted: Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 10:49 PM UTC
Don't let that air brush build to 100 PSI or you will have a bunch of problems.

Faulty reg is the problem it seems as it should keep it's PSI no matter what the other side is.


2 to 5 PSI is max on a regular one.

Should discharge air out the bottom,if a relieving kind or will not if a Non gassing one.

What kind of Regulator is it?

Only use a Good Regulator on air compressors.

No $10.00 one at least $25.00 to $35.00 is best for peace of mind.

You did follow the arrows on installing it correct?
old-dragon
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Posted: Friday, February 06, 2009 - 03:28 AM UTC
You didn't say if your running a tanked compressor or if it's ran straight...the tank under the compressor is a buffer to reduce cycling pulses and regulate{to an extent!} the pressure as it's built.
Not all regulators are made equal...check the rating lable to see how low or how high it regulates to...if your reg is only rated to, say, 80psi and your throwing 100psi at it, it won't hold, and if the reg is only rated down to 20psi and your trying to drop outlet pressure to 10psi it won't be able to do it well. A "no tank" setup is a good reason to run two regs...one set about 30psi and the next inline to about 5 - 10psi{depending what pressure you want/need}. The next thing is a good gauge for pressure readout...the kind that last reads a number @ 20psi isn't a good gauge for ABing and you'd want to replace that with a gauge that reads down to, say, 5psi.

...oh, as for "a jump in psi after releasing the button/trigger"....that's ok so long as it's only 5psi or so. I set my working pressure while the button{iwata} is pushed so I'm setting the "working pressure"...the slight jump is "idle" pressure. I run an old aztek 500 compressor with a 2 gal tank and with my reg I have dialed down to 5psi working and can go as high as 30psi to paint the back wall too. I usually run at 10-15psi to cut down on overspray. When I 1st started using my AB everything was @ 30psi{lol}...we got paint!!!! You'll learn to mix paint to thinner correctly{not saying you don't} and dial her down to a low psi for camo lines and the like........
Juggler
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Posted: Friday, February 06, 2009 - 11:23 AM UTC
Thanks for the input gents. Im using a campbell-Hausfeld compressor w/ a one gallon pancake tank on the bottom & has a 100 psi max output. I added a regulator down stream of that to reduce the psi, a cheap one I picked up at Harbour Frieght for 6 bucks. I should probably pry open the wallet and go for a better regulator. The one I have will hold the reduced press as long as Im spraying but it lets it build up too much psi in the hose when I stop. So much for thinking I could get by with a cheaper one.

Juggler
Grumpyoldman
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Posted: Friday, February 06, 2009 - 09:09 PM UTC
Well, now that we know exactly what outfit you have we can help a little more.
1. Your compressor regulator controls the pressure in the tank.
It's factory set. It also doesn't care what you are reducing it to, it is going to maintain a pressure differential that is factory set. (ballpark figure it could be on at 40 or 60 or 80 PSI, and off at 100 PSI)
2. Your pressure regulator (The one you added) sets the pressure you desire. as long as the tank pressure is higher than the desire pressure your added regulator will reduce the pressure. Your added regulator has nothing to do with the compressor regulator.
3. When the TANK pressure goes lower than the factory on setting the compressor starts, if you finish air brushing, and the tank pressure is above the lower set point, the compressor should not start to refill the tank, if it is lower than the set point the compressor will start and pump up to the 100 PSI.
4. I don't know exactly how you have things piped, so here's a photo of my old compressor set up, as it's easier to see what is going on:


Notice there are two gauges, one reads the tank pressure, before the regulator, the other is my set air pressure, that I set depending on the air pressure I want to use for the airbrush. This being a 50 year old compressor, I was able to adjust my tank pressure on/off settings. And yes I have more than one airbrush hooked up. This compressor lives on at another members house now.

This is my new set up:


Again more than one airbrushes are set up, and two pressure gauges, one for the tank pressure, the other for the desire airbrush settings. Unfortunately unlike my old compressor, this has a tamper proof tank pressure regulator that maintains between 40 to 60 PSI on the tank.

Good luck with your Campbell-Hausfeld compressor w/ a one gallon pancake tank on the bottom, I had one that lasted exactly 6 weeks.
sgtreef
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Posted: Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 12:32 AM UTC
Grumpy's old one is one of those Orginial Pancake deals.

That will be around when all are gone.

Did you make that Grumpy ?

I like how many air brushes you run Dave.

Good idea to stack them so can use the one regulator sweet deal.
Grumpyoldman
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Posted: Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 01:28 AM UTC
The old one was actually originally from a dentist office. (I paid 25 bucks for it at a club auction during the 70's!)
I use 4 airbrushes. Right now, two badgers, one 150, one 100g, an Iwata HP-B and a Paasche VSR-90.
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